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Blitzivan: Born to be Reloaded
Blitzivan: Born to be Reloaded'' (also known in Europe and Asia as ''Blitzivan: Generation 1) is a 1997 El Kadsrean tokusatsu superhero film directed by Frederick Lloyd, written by Max Axis and Akira Hisashi. The film stars Patrick Cruz, Paulina Tan, Hiromi Yuzawa, David Bay, Garry Shimoda, Sean De Guzman, Eric Santiago, and Akoi Hibiki. The film revolves around Ray Daichi as he becomes the titular Blitzivan by his sister Ivy Daichi. However, though, things began to tense up when Ray discovers that his sister has a connection with an evil organization that he faces and must save her sister and stop the organization's leader Ornyxia. The film was released on September 26, 1997, and was a critical and financial success, receiving positive reviews from critics and grossing $265 million worldwide against its $90 million budget. Plot Teenager Ray Daichi encounters a monster attack while walking home from school and makes a desperate attempt to escape with only minor injuries. After being rescued by her sister Ivy Daichi, Ray asks her about where those monsters came from, to which she simply ignored his question. As the two of them went home, Ray begins to wonder about Ivy's strange behavior. At midnight, on a secret base below Mirai City, Ornyxia appears on a holographic screen commands its henchmen to find a power source so that they can use for their own evil schemes. Unaware to them, Ivy managed to sneak in the base and steal some necessary materials for her secret project, including a robotic endoskeleton called the Battlecon Trinity. She then hurries off to the location to where the figure's henchmen where and steal the power source first. Unfortunately, one of the henchmen noticed her, causing a massive chase with Ivy barely escaping the henchmen. Planning a way to use the materials she stole for good use, she decides to choose Ray to be the first test subject for her secret project, dubbed Project Blitzivan. After undergoing a lengthy process, she managed to fit Ray's body with the endoskeleton, to which she uses the power source she stole from earlier as the latter. Ray is soon awake at his bed and tells his sister that he felt strange as if he felt something unexpected came down upon him. At school, he discovers that he has inhuman strength and near invulnerability. While there, he finds an oval three-lined buckle that was disguised as an ordinary buckle. However, though, Ray decides not to use his newfound powers since he figures that he can act normal even if he's a cyborg. One of Ornyxia's henchmen, Kabutron and Markenstein, later arrive at the school in order to pursue Ray. Ray intervenes and tries to fight them but fails. With no other choice left, Ray plugs the buckle in the front of his belt, transforming him into a superhero. With his new body, Ray battles Kabutron and Markenstein, after which the monsters intervene. After the battle at school, Ray began to use his newfound body, now calling himself Blitzivan, to protect the citizens of Mirai City. The news quickly caught the attention of Ornyxia, who demands her henchmen to find the person responsible for his creation. During their mission, Soundbuster tracks a radio call which led to the discovery of Ivy's secret laboratory. Ornyxia's henchmen soon ransack the place. Ivy attempts to fight off the henchmen, but she was overwhelmed and taken to Ornyxia's base where Ornyxia forces Ivy to create a suit that can stop Blitzivan, which worries Ivy. Ornyxia also demands her henchmen to find Blitzivan at all costs. Meanwhile, Ornyxia soon discovers Ray's identity when she red a profile data of Blitzivan that was retrieved by Kombatikus, to which she develops an attraction to him. After performing a rescue mission, Ray, as Blitzivan, soon finds Ivy's secret lab ransacked all over. After watching a video footage of the events that happened, Ray discovers that the monsters that he was fighting were the henchmen of Ornyxia, using a newly-developed motorcycle, Ray speeds off to Ornyxia's base where he battles her henchmen and her robotic soldiers. Ray is confronted by Ornyxia and her newly-found powers as she orders Ray to surrender to her. Both of them soon fight as their heavy waves of firepower destroy the base in the process. Ornyxia threatens to kill Ivy if Ray doesn't give up the buckle, but not before Ray plugs the buckle in her belt. Ornyxia then transforms into Blitzivan's armor, unaware that the buckle's safety feature is activated, causing Ornyxia to be electrocuted and the suit to explode, but Ray and Ivy escaped the base just in time. One year later, Ivy's secret lab has undergone its renovation, and Ivy presents Ray with an improved of his motorcycle. Ray explains to her that ever since the fight at school, he finally discovers his true purpose of his new body and fully accepted for who he is with Ivy's help. As Ray leaves the lab, Ivy opens a secret hatch at the lab that reveal a combat suit. Ivy decides that, with the success of the Blitzivan project, Ivy can become a hero herself and plans to become Blitzivan's newest sidekick. Cast * Patrick Cruz as Ray Daichi/Blitzivan ** as Blitzivan (suit) * Paulina Tan as Ivy Daichi * Hiromi Yuzawa as Ornyxia ** Nozomi Emiyo as Ornyxia's Double * David Bay as Tele-Tron * Garry Shimoda as Kabutron * Sean De Guzman as Soundbuster * Eric Santiago as Markenstein * Akio Hibiki as Kombatikus * Seiichi Naoyuki as Civilian 1 * Koji Asinas as Civilian 2 Cameos * Frederick Lloyd as a News Reporter * Hideo Kouichi as Himself * Ryouichi Andrews as a News Reporter Production In June of 1994, writer and director Max Axis, who was at high school at the time, submitted an incomplete script to El TV Kadsre Films for a science-fiction action film. Once the executives read the script, they liked it but advised Max to rewrite and revise a few points to make it more original. So Max rewrote the script and brought alongside fellow co-writer Akira Hisashi to give her own ideas into the script. Once they completed the revised script, they submitted it to El TV Kadsre Film's executives again, this time with much more confidence. The executives actually enjoyed the revised script and settled on a budget of $90 million. However, the project was on hold for 2 years until Max got graduated in high school. And soon, right after he graduated high school and finished writing his first film The Roboroach, production of the film began in January 1996. Filming Principal photography had begun on February 16, 1996, to August 29, 1996. However, though, the date was extended to September 12, due to the stunt doubles often injuring themselves and the number of technical issues that occurred during filming. It was filmed in El Kadsre City, Teenjo, Tokyo, Sydney, and Hong Kong Effects To keep the film's budget intact, the director insisted on using practical effects more than CGI. The suits made for the film were designed by El TV Kadsre Film's Special Effects Department. Some of the designs that were intended to use CGI with them were either scrapped or used in other films with much larger budgets. Some of El TV Kadsre Films' sound stages in the El TV Kadsre Television Centre were used for Ivy's Secret Lab and the Makriox's base, Suzuki, one of the film's sponsors, provided the Hypercycle as well as the bikes that the Makriox troopers ride on during the film while Mazda designed and provided the Mazda RX-7 for Ivy's car, the NX-39 Sparrow. The visual effects were made by CiGiWOW and Zecter Media. Due to the director's request, they opted to minimize the use of CGI and digital compositing as much as possible. The film uses CGI for the film's background plates (with some scenes, the CG backgrounds were replaced with miniatures), the laser rays that the weapons made, and some scenes when Blitzivan needed to transform a part of his body into a weapon. This was the last film CiGiWOW made before they were filed for bankruptcy. Release Blitzivan: Born to be Reloaded held its world premiere at the Hendring Cinemas in El Kadsre on October 28, 1997. It then held its U.S. premiere at the El Captian Theatre in Hollywood on September 4, 1997. The film was officially released in El Kadsre on September 26, 1997, and received an international release in the United States on October 5, 1997, where the film's distribution rights were handled by R.A. Releasing. Marketing The film's teaser trailer premiered on the screenings of Nova Orbis 4: Death Race, Blueworld, Boys of Uprising and Codename: Lightning. In addition, Hasbro produced a line of action figures based on the characters of the film. El TV Kadsre Films spent $20 million to promote the film. In addition, a novelization of the film was produced, written by co-writer Akira Hisashi. Home media The film was released on VHS, TVD, Laserdisc, and DVD four months later, on January 20, 1998, in the El Kadsreian Islands by El TV Kadsre Home Entertainment, Australia by Roadshow Entertainment and the US and Canada by Buena Vista Home Video. In early August of 2007, the film was re-released on Blu-Ray that contained additional unused scenes, a new commentary with writers Max Axis and Akira Hisashi, special features not included in the original DVD release, and a sneak preview of the then-upcoming Blitzivan: 10 Years Later. In 2017, to commemorate the Blitzivan franchise's 20th anniversary and to celebrate the then-upcoming release of Blitzivan: 20 Years Later, all of the main theatrical and television films were included in the ''Blitzivan: The Ultimate Collection'' two-disc set. The film has also been released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D. Canceled video game A video game based on the movie was planned to be developed by Seymour Games, and was originally set to be released for the Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn, Theorysonic SphereBox, TS-UGOS and Microsoft Windows but was later canceled due to unspecified reasons. The official trailer for the game can still be seen in the film's VHS release. Reception Box office The film initially received $67 million in the first run, in which the director described at first was "a bit disappointing". But by its second week, the film quickly received $175 million worldwide and after that, received $265 million, breaking its expected $223 million revenue. Critical reception The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praising its story, characters, special effects, and action sequences. The film holds an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 126 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Blitzivan: Born to be Reloaded may need some heavy repairing here and there, but it's entertaining characters and solid direction proves that it can stand up on its own." 77% on Google. Additionally, the film received a positive score of 75% on Metacritic. Sequels and franchise The film's success spawned an entire franchise starting with [https://dreamfiction.fandom.com/wiki/Blitzivan_2:_Type_Overload Blitzivan 2: Type Overload], ''Blitzivan 3: Dark Eclipse'', ''Blitzivan 4: The Last Act'', and ''Blitzivan: 10 Years Later''. The following films after 10 Years Later were released as television films (though they were released theatrically in some countries). Category:Films Category:Fictional films Category:El Kadsre Category:El TV Kadsre Films Category:El Kadsreian films Category:1997 Category:1997 films Category:Films shot in El Kadsre Category:Tokusatsu films Category:Science fiction films Category:Action films Category:1990s Category:1990s films Category:Blitzivan